The pair were disqualified from the class — losing out on tens-of-thousands of Euros in prize-money.

Hans-Dieter was also given a verbal warning.

“The horse came in for the mandatory boot check and it was very obvious that it had a spur mark on the flanks; that the horse was bleeding,” said Stephan Ellenbruch, president of the FEI ground jury.

“The ground jury then has to decide whether to take any further legal action against the rider. We have decided that we are not taking any further action — the rider received a verbal warning — but we have no indication that there was any horse abuse.

“Everyone knows that things like that can happen, but FEI jumping rules are very strict on such things. But from what we have seen on the horse, and what we have seen the rider do during his round, we do not think there to be any basis of horse abuse, and so we will not take any further action such as a sanction or a warning card.”

America’s Laura Kraut withdrew Nouvelle before the jump-off, leaving just four to contest the €148,500 first prize.

Don’t miss the full report on all the action from the three-day Longines Global Champions Tour London show in this Thursday’s issue of Horse & Hound, out 21 August.

Alice

Hans-Dieter is a very good horseman who would have been mortified, and would never neglect a horse in such a way- it would have been a complete accident-.

bev newham

if spurs are used to such a degree as to make the horse bleed something is very wrong not to mention if he dose this at a show,what dose he do at home ;

squiblet

why are spurs even allowed at all? #time to rethink the rules altogether#

Mirirab

So a horse bleeding because of spurs and the rider gets a verbal warning, but an eventer who retires her horse going cross country gets a yellow card?

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